National RTAP eNews - August 14, 2025

eNews - August 14, 2025

National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating rural and tribal transit solutions through free training materials, technical assistance, and partner collaboration.

Newsletter Highlights

Upcoming National RTAP Tribal and Rural Mini-Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota

Upcoming National RTAP Mobility Management Compliance Webinar

New National RTAP Compendium of Best Practices

Justification Letter Available for 2025 National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference

U.S. DOT Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

Upcoming National RTAP Tribal and Rural Mini-Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota

Please join National RTAP in Rapid City, South Dakota, on October 14-16, 2025 for a Tribal and Rural Transit Mini-Conference with three days of Tribal and rural transit training. The conference will be held at the Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City/Curio Collection by Hilton.

The mini-conference kicks off with a plenary roundtable discussion of agency best practices and challenges, then continues with 90-minute breakout sessions covering a wide range of transit-specific and hot topics by experts in Tribal and rural transit program development, including, but not limited to: Transit Planning I and II, long range transportation planning, National Environmental Policy Act I and II, procurement and National RTAP’s ProcurementPRO, grant writing, the latest research on right-sizing your fleets, and how transit agencies can “do more with less” in this new environment of uncertain future federal funding.

Upcoming Mobility Management Compliance Webinar

National RTAP is holding a webinar on Mobility Management Compliance: Key Activities & Best Practices on August 27 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET.

This webinar empowers transit administrators, mobility managers, and coordination stakeholders with the latest compliance requirements and activity guidance. Learn how to structure programs to meet eligibility while enhancing service coordination and planning.

The webinar will cover understanding mobility management, eligible activities, and compliance essentials.

New National RTAP Compendium of Best Practices

The new National RTAP Rural and Tribal Transit Compendium of Best Practices contains an interactive map that contains best practices for State RTAPs, U.S. Territorial RTAPs, and Tribal Transit Systems. If the state has a green background, click on it to view best practices. This is an update of our original State of the States article.

The best practices listed in the Compendium are about 5311/5310 funding, grant management, mobility management, subrecipient compliance, subrecipient procurement, technical assistance, technology implementation, and training. If your RTAP or Tribal Transit System has a best practice to contribute, please contact info@nationalrtap.org or add it to our Padlet.

Thank you to our Review Board members Marianna Hanefeld, Transportation Planner/RTAP Manager, Washington DOT; Tom Nutter, Project Manager, Oklahoma DOT; and Kevin Wassom, Compliance Specialist, Michigan DOT, for the review of this resource.

Featured Resource

Upcoming National RTAP Events

The National RTAP Books in Transit Discussion Group selected Bus People: 30 Days on the Road with America's Nomads by Mike Pentecost for its August 19, 2025, 2:00-3:00 PM ET meeting. Bus People focuses on the stories, hopes, and dreams that accompany the passengers that Greyhound serves. Register for the meeting. The author will be joining us!

There's always something new at National RTAP! Register for a Fall for New National RTAP Resources webinar on October 14, 2025, 2:00-3:00 PM, to learn about some of our newest resources, including the Rural and Tribal Transit Compendium of Best Practices, 5310 Programs List, and others.

Technology Tools Office Hours

National RTAP offers free, live GTFS Builder support on Thursdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Use this link to join. National RTAP also offers live technical support for Website Builder on Tuesdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Share your screen, ask questions, and get help. Use this link to join – no need to register for either session.

Two Weeks to Apply for National RTAP Community Rides Grant

National RTAP is pleased to announce the Community Rides Grant Program, which offers current recipients and subrecipients of FTA's Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311) program the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $100,000 for projects that develop or strengthen transportation partnerships that improve transportation access in rural communities. Download the Community Rides Grant Program request for proposals (RFP). The project duration is 12 months. The application deadline is August 29, 2025. Apply through the Application Portal.

Watch the recording and access the presentation slides and questions and answers from our webinar on July 22, 2025 and the recording, presentation slides, and questions and answers from our webinar on July 31, 2025.

National RTAP State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable Summary Published

National RTAP's State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable was held on July 29, 2025. Topics included how to find trainers, trainer succession planning, the role of State RTAPs in mobility management, and others. Read the summary.

National RTAP Bus Roadeo Toolkit Update Request for Proposals

National RTAP will be updating its Bus Roadeo Toolkit and has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP). We held a Pre-Proposal Call on July 29, 2025. Read the Q&A document. Proposals must be received by 5:00 pm EST on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

National RTAP 2025 Photo Contest Deadline Next Week

Our National RTAP 2025 Photo Contest: Wrap It Up is all about how you beautify your bus. We are looking for photos of visually appealing bus wraps, graphics, and decorations, including holiday embellishments. Each transit agency may submit up to 3 photos to info@nationalrtap.org by August 22, 2025. All photos must be accompanied by a Photo Release Form.

National RTAP Marketing Slides

Organizations may use these PowerPoint National RTAP Marketing Slides in their webinars and conference sessions to introduce National RTAP and its benefits to rural and Tribal transit agencies and to State RTAPs.

Articles Citing National RTAP

In an article in Travel Behaviour and Society, Using Realtime GTFS to Generate Easy-to-Use Transit Accessibility Measures under Travel Time Uncertainty, researchers cited National RTAP's GTFS Builder.

The authors of the Mineta Transportation Institute's Does the Transit Industry Understand the Risks of Cybersecurity and are the Risks Being Appropriately Prioritized cited National RTAP's resources on cybersecurity.

TCRP B-57 Proposals Due Today

Qualified proposers may submit a proposal for TCRP B-57: Innovative Marketing and Customer Communication Strategies for Rural Transit. The deadline is today, August 14, 2025. National RTAP serves on the panel for this project and has submitted the Problem Statement.

The 6th National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference, Wrangling Access and Mobility in Rural and Tribal Transit, will take place in Austin, Texas from December 7-10, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Austin on 208 Barton Springs Road. The Registration and Agenda and Vendor Prospectus are now available.

Once you register for the conference, you will have the option in the registration form to reserve a room at the Hyatt Regency Austin through our room block.

We have provided a conference justification letter that you are welcome to use if you need approval. If you click on the Justification Letter button in this newsletter or on our website, the letter will download to your computer.

A detailed agenda with the names of the presenters is coming soon!

Students are invited to submit a poster for the Conference to be shown on December 7, 2025. Posters for consideration must be sent by October 1, 2025 to info@nationalrtap.org. Students must be able to present their posters in-person.

The Walk of Fame will take place at the conference to recognize exemplary staff for dedication, innovation, customer service, and professionalism. Send the nominee’s name, title, transit agency, email address, and phone number, a photo of the nominee in jpeg or png format, and a paragraph (500-character limit) about why they should be honored, to info@nationalrtap.org by October 10, 2025.

National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences

We're presenting, exhibiting, and participating at the following conferences and meetings:

Updated National RTAP Transit Asset Management Topic Guide

National RTAP continues its annual Topic Guide update with our Transit Asset Management (TAM) Topic Guide.

New resources include:

New RTAP GTFS Builder Single Spreadsheet Tool

Our new single spreadsheet GTFS Builder tool streamlines generating a fully valid GTFS for National Transit Database (NTD) reporting and trip planners. The updated GTFS Builder and support resources assist rural and tribal agencies as they create and maintain fixed-route transit stop schedules and service information. Click on the Download GTFS Builder button on the GTFS Builder web page for the updates.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

The Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program Notice of Funding Opportunity provides grants to support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help advance infrastructure projects in rural and Tribal communities. Applications will be accepted beginning on September 8, 2025.

U.S. DOT announced Marc Molinaro as the 16th Senate confirmed Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration.

The Office of the Secretary of Transportation invites public comment through September 7, 2025 on the development of the U.S. DOT Strategic Plan. Comments are requested on strategies, priorities, emerging challenges and opportunities, and how U.S. DOT can create value.

Webinars and Training

The Pueblo of Jemez, Cherokee Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, University of Montana, Michia Casebier of MG Tech-Writing, LLC, and America Walks have built awareness of the impact of pedestrian fatalities in tribal communities and demonstrated strategies for managing vehicle speeds. America Walks is hosting a Quick-Builds in Indian Country webinar on August 28, 2025 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET to discuss designing and implementing hands-on public events, and present evaluation results and lessons learned.

The Association of Mobility Managers (AMM) is holding a Mobility Week: Designing a Mobility Week Marketing Campaign Webinar on August 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET. The webinar will cover a statewide campaign celebrated annually in Oklahoma, Florida, and Kansas to promote safe, sustainable, and accessible transportation choices.

The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) offers Public Transit Apprenticeship Office Hours. There are office hours for transit vehicle operators, bus maintenance, facilities, and other frontline occupations.

Publications

Tribal Engagement 101 for Economic Development Districts is part of the EDD - Tribal Engagement microsite from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), which provides a variety of resources for Economic Development Districts (EDD) looking to build or expand their working relationships with Tribal governments and enterprises, including tips from EDDs, case studies, webinar recordings, and more.

TCRP's Microtransit Solutions in Rural Communities: On-Demand Alternatives to Dial-a-Ride Services and Unproductive Coverage Routes provides an overview of rural microtransit operations through a literature review, surveys of transit providers, and case examples of seven agencies. High customer satisfaction and improved service efficiency were frequently cited as benefits of microtransit solutions.

Steps for helping passengers with Down Syndrome travel safely by bus include evaluating physical and spatial awareness when boarding a bus, teaching route familiarization, using visual supports like picture schedules, and other recommendations by the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) in an article on The Road to Independence: Travel Instruction for People with Down Syndrome.

NADTC also launched a new FTA Section 5310 Resource Hub with an overview of Section 5310, guidance on project eligibility, and an application checklist.

Produced by the Small Urban and Rural Center on Mobility (SURCOM), the recently updated 2025 Rural Transit Fact Book provides a resource for national statistics about rural transit in the U.S. The data includes travel behavior, rural demographics, and financial and operating statistics for agencies receiving 5311 funding.

Databases and Tools

Georgetown University provides a Digital Gov Hub Library. Filters include topic, government service (including transportation), and audience. Users can submit a resource to the library.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a Local Food Directory where users can search for farmers markets, food hubs, and other resources by location. Users can click get directions in their search results to find public transportation options.

DiscoverGov provides searching across multiple U.S. Federal Government databases, including the Government Printing Office's Catalog of U.S. Government Publications and GovInfo. It will retrieve reports, articles, and citations while providing direct links to selected resources and publications available online. It is the successor of MetaLib, which began its removal process on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

Opportunities

FHWA published National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program Interim Final Guidance on August 11, 2025. The program provides funding to states to deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability.

The National Safety Council (NSC) Robert W. Campbell Award recognizes organizations demonstrating leadership and excellence in integrating environment, health, and safety into core business operations. Applications are due November 1, 2025.

Legislation

An Executive Order was published on August 7, 2025 on Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking. Each federal agency head is to appoint a senior official responsible for reviewing funding opportunity announcements and discretionary grants to ensure they align with agency goals and the national interest. Funding announcements will be approved by senior officials in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget and input from subject matter experts when appropriate. There will be limits on the use of grant funds for costs related to facilities and administration.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines to produce the best reading of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 202(a). Comments must be received by September 15, 2025.

NHTSA issued an exemption for driverless vehicles under its newly expanded Automated Vehicle Exemption Program. In April 2025, NHTSA expanded its Automated Vehicle Exemption Program to include domestically produced vehicles as part of its AV Framework.

Upcoming Events

All event times listed in Eastern Time. Subtract 1 hour for Central Time, 2 for Mountain Time, 3 for Pacific Time, 4 for Alaska, and 5 or 6 for Hawaii (depending on daylight savings time).

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)

CTAA Small Urban Network (SUN) Conference

St. Cloud, MN, August 13-15

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center (AT3 Center)

Navigating Changing Policies and State-Level Trends in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Webinar

August 14, 3:00-4:00 PM

New

ActivEnviro

Somebody Should Know the Value of Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act Convening

August 14, 3:30 PM

TRB

Innovating AI Engagement to Shape Public Involvement Webinar

August 15, 10:00-11:30 AM

National Association of Motorcoach Operators (NAMO)

NAMO 2025 Annual Conference & Marketplace

Williamsburg, VA, August 17-20

Washington State Transit Association (WSTA)

Washington State Public Transportation Conference, Vendor Expo, and State Roadeo

Tukwila, WA, August 18-20

Please visit our table!

New

Michigan Public Transit Association (MPTA)

Michigan Public Transportation Conference

Thompsonville, MI, August 18-20

Please visit our booth!

Western TTAP

Tribal Grant Writing Workshop

Las Vegas, NV, August 18-20

New

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Public Hearing for Reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards

August 19-20

Transportation Association of South Carolina (TASC)

TASC 2025 Annual Conference and Expo

Myrtle Beach, SC, August 19-21

Please visit our booth!

Community Transportation Association of Virginia (CTAV)

2025 CTAV Conference and Expo

Roanoke, VA, August 19-21

We're participating!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

ITS America

Early Workforce Impacts of Artificial Intelligences (AI) to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Webinar

August 19, 1:00-2:00 PM

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

TOM Talks

August 19, 1:00-2:30 PM

New

Association of Mobility Managers (AMM)

Mobility Week: Designing a Mobility Week Marketing Campaign Webinar

August 19, 2:00 PM

New

University of New Hampshire Project ECHO and Dartmouth Health

Cannabis in the Workplace: An ECHO on Health, Safety, and Management - Session 6 - The Legal and Regulatory Landscape Webinar

August 20, 12:00-1:00 PM

New

National Safety Council (NSC)

Are You Campbell Ready? Discover the Updated Robert W. Campbell Award Webinar

August 20, 2:30 PM

National Center for Rural Road Safety

Transit as a Safety Strategy Webinar

August 21, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Feonix Mobility Rising

Prescribing Access: How the Transportation Rx Supports Recovery from Substance Use Disorders and Beyond Webinar

August 21, 2:00 PM

New

Government Fleet

Weathering the Perfect Storm: Succession Planning Done Right Webinar

August 21, 2:00 PM

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC)

NEMTAC Transform 2025 Annual Conference

Dallas, TX, August 24-26

Please visit our table!

ITS America

ITS World Congress 2025

Atlanta, GA, August 24-28

North American Association of Transportation Safety & Health Officials, Inc. (NAATSHO)

NAATSHO Conference

Cody, WY, August 24-28

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Transportation Conformity

Arlington, TX, August 25-27

Iowa State University Institute for Transportation

15th National Conference on Transportation Asset Management

Chicago, IL, August 25-28

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

U.S. DOT Build America Bureau

Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program Webinar

August 26, 2:00 PM

National Transit Institute

2025 Annual NTD Reporting Clarifications Webinar

August 26, 2:00-3:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Battery Electric Bus (BEB) Familiarization

Buffalo, NY, August 26-27, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

New

University of New Hampshire Project ECHO and Dartmouth Health

Cannabis in the Workplace: An ECHO on Health, Safety, and Management - Session 7 - Development of Workplace Policies Webinar

August 27, 12:00-1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 27, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National RTAP

Mobility Management Compliance: Key Activities & Best Practices

August 27, 2:00-3:00 PM

UKi Media & Events

ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Summit

San Jose, CA, August 27-28

New

America Walks

Quick-Builds in Indian Country – Advancing Road Safety through Community Engagement Webinar

August 28, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

September 2, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making

Portland, OR, September 2-4

New

TripSpark

How to Design an Effective Microtransit System Webinar

September 3, 1:00 PM

Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont Transportation Associations

Tri-State Transit Conference

Portland, ME, September 3-5

We're presenting and exhibiting!

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

September 4, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

Planned Special Events (PSE) Spotlight Series: September 2025

September 4, 1:00-2:30 PM

New

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database: Annual Reporting for State DOTs and Subrecipients Webinar

September 4, 2:00-3:30 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

September 9, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

NTD Annual Reduced Reporting for Urban Small Systems and Tribal Transit Providers Webinar

September 9, 2:00-3:30 PM

Utah Urban Rural Specialized Transit Association (URSTA)

URSTA Conference and Roadeo

St. George, UT, September 10-13

Please visit our booth!

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

September 11, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Dakota Transit Association

Dakota Transit Association Fall Conference & Roadeo

Jamestown, ND, September 11-17

Please visit our booth!

National Safety Council (NSC)

2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo

Denver, CO, September 12-18

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

APTA Transform

Boston, MA, September 14-17

Zephyr and University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies

2025 Modeling Mobility Conference

September 14–17, Minneapolis, MN

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

September 16, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

September 18, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

FTA Uniform Act Basics for Transit Agency Personnel Online Course

September 18, 1:00-5:00 PM

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2025 AASHTO TransComm

Chicago, IL, September 21-24

National Transportation in Indian Country (NTICC)

NTICC 2025

Gila River, AZ, September 21-25

We're presenting and exhibiting!

Bobit Business Media

Public Transit & Technology Exchange

Scottsdale, AZ, September 22-24

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

September 23, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

Ridership Forecasting with STOPS for Transit Project Planning

San Diego, CA, September 23-25, 2025, 9:00 AM -5:00 PM

Terrapinn

MOVE America 2025

Detroit, MI, September 24-25

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

September 25, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR)

IATR Annual Conference 2025

Nashville, TN, September 26-30

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

September 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 2, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Association of Mobility Managers (AMM)

Addressing Gaps and Unmet Needs in Oklahoma Webinar

September 30, 2:00 PM

New

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

ADA Guru

ADA Compliance Training

Honolulu, HI, October 7-9

Please Visit our Table!

New

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 9, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Association of Mobility Managers (AMM)

RideSheet: Dispatching Technology for Rural Transit Webinar

October 14, 3:00 PM

New

National RTAP

Tribal and Rural Transit Mini-Conference

Rapid City, South Dakota, October 14-16

New

Forth

Forth Roadmap Conference

Detroit, MI, October 14-16

New

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 16, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Alaska Federation of Natives

Alaska Federation of Natives Convention

Anchorage, AK, October 16-18

New

Connecticut Association for Community Transportation (CACT)

2025 Annual Statewide CACT Transportation Expo

Newington, CT, October 21

Please visit our table!

New

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Bobit Business Media

Fleet Forward Conference

San Diego, CA, October 21-23

New

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 23, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Transit Mobility Alliance

Transit Mobility Alliance Conference

Phoenix, AZ, October 26-29

New

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database: Rural Reporting - Virtual Course

October 28-29, 1:00-4:30 PM

New

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2025 AASHTO Safety Summit and Peer Exchange

New Orleans, LA, October 28-30

New

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our Calendar. To submit an event, email info@nationalrtap.org.

Calendar of Events

National RTAP | 888-589-6821 | info@nationalrtap.org | nationalrtap.org

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